Stom  t^e  ii^tMt  of 

(profeBBor  ^amuef  (gtiffer 

in  (gtemoti?  of 

^nt^c  ^dtnuef  OXtffer  (grecftinribge 

(presented  61^ 

^dtnuef  OtifJPer  (grecfttnribge  feong 

to  t^  £i6iratt?  of 

(Princeton  C^eofogicaf  ^eminarj 


miSV,  SAMUEli  MflH^ILiKIS^^B.III'. 


Prof, in  LfieTheo   S<^m.  PiirLcelon.N.J. 

BuwnsLitlv.  PliiW. 


(3^ 


THE    IMPORTANCE 


THOROUGH  AND  ADEQUATE  COURSE 


PREPARATORY  STUDY 


THE    HOLY   MINISTRY. 


BY  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 

Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Church  Government  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton. 


THE  IMPORTANCE 

OF    A    THOROUGH    AND   ADEQUATE 
PEEPARATORY  STUDY  FOR    THE  HOLY  MINISTRY. 


Mr.  Editor, — 

When  I  reflect  on  the  importance  of  giving  sound  and 
judicious  advice  to  any  young  man,  just  entering  on  the 
career  of  life,  I  can  scarcely  express  my  sense  of  the  re- 
sponsibility  of  one  v\7ho  undertakes  the  task.  But,  when 
I  contemplate  the  greatly  augmented  importance  of 
giving  a  correct  impulse  to  the  mind  of  a  youth  who  ia 
destined  to  be  a  leader  and  guide  of  others,  on  the  most 
momentous  of  all  subjects;  who  is  training  up  to  be  a 
"watchman  on  the  walls  of  Zion;"  to  be  a  ruler,  teacher, 
and  counsellor  in  the  Church  of  God;  my  mind  is 
really  so  impressed,  as  to  be  almost  ready  to  sink  under 
the  weight  of  the  undertaking.  Surely,  he  who  can  ven- 
ture upon  it  without  much  reflection  and  much  prayer ; 
without  pondering  well  every  counsel,  and  looking  to  the 
Source  of  all  wisdom  for  continual  guidance, — is  not  yet 
prepared  for  his  work.  He  needs  to  take  another  sur- 
vey of  its  magnitude,  its  diflSculties,  and  its  never-end- 
ing results.  Such  thoughts  as  these,  Mr.  Editor,  crowd 
into  my  mind,  when  I  think  of  complying  with  your  re- 
quest,  to  prepare  a  short  article  for  your  forthcoming 


58  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

Annual.  May  He  who  giveth  wisdom,  and  upbraideth 
not,  enable  me  to  write  that  which  shall  not  be  wholly 
useless ! 

You  request  me  to  say  something  on  the  importance  of 
a  thorough  and  adequate  course  of  preparatory  study  for 
the  holy  Ministry.  This  is  a  subject  on  which  I  have 
had  occasion,  more  than  once,  to  lay  some  observations 
before  the  public.  But,  as  these  observations  may  have 
been  seen  by  few;  and  as  this  is  a  subject  on  which  fre- 
quent enlargement,  and  even  repetition,  are  by  no  means 
objectionable;  I  dare  not  decline  the  service  to  which 
you  have  invited  me.  It  will  readily  occur  to  you,  how- 
ever, that  the  limits  of  a  few  pages,  to  which  I  am  ne- 
cessarily confined,  will  preclude  the  possibility  of  doing 
more  than  glancing,  in  a  very  cursory  manner,  at  a  few 
topics,  instead  of  attempting  a  course  of  regular  discus- 
sion. 

It  is  truly  lamentable,  that,  in  a  day  of  so  much  literary 
improvement,  when  the  number  of  those  who  may  be 
called  educated  men,  in  the  community,  is  every  year  in- 
creasing ;  and  when  all  the  talents  and  knowledge,  as  well 
as  piety  which  ministers  of  the  Gospel  can  possibly  bring 
to  bear  on  the  duties  of  their  profession  are  put  in  the 
most  solemn  requisition ;  I  say  it  is  truly  lamentable  in 
such  a  day  as  this,  that  it  should  be  found  so  difficult  to 
impress  candidates  for  the  sacred  office  with  a  just  sense 
of  adequate  training  for  their  ministerial  work.  Yet  such 
is,  undeniably,  the  melancholy  fact.  It  is  impossible  not 
to  see,  that  a  very  large  majority  of  the  whole  number, 
content  themselves  with  an  education  superficial  through- 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  59 

out.  Their  academic  and  collegial  courses  are  both,  in  a 
multitude  of  cases,  hurried  over  with  a  haste  which  pre- 
cludes the  possibility  of  accurate  and  mature  scholarship. 
When  they  come  to  their  theological  studies,  they  find,  to 
their  surprise  and  embarrassment,  that  they  are  by  no 
means  prepared  to  go  forward ;  that  the  miserable  scanti- 
ness of  their  literary  and  scientific  acquisitions  really  in- 
terposes a  most  serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  their  ad  van- 
tageous  progress ;  and  that  to  some  of  the  richest  'stores 
of  professional  knowledge,  they  are  altogether  denied  ac- 
cess. In  these  circumstances,  instead  of  feeling  impelled 
by  the  defects  of  their  academic  course,  to  pursue  more  at 
leisure,  and  to  a  greater  extent,  their  theological  studies; 
their  decision  is,  in  many  cases,  directly  the  reverse  I 
They  seem  to  suppose  that,  as  they  have  not  informa- 
tion enough  to  enable  them  to  enter  with  intelligence  on 
several  important  departments  of  theological  study,  they 
had  better  omit  them  altogether,  and  go  forth  at  once 
into  the  field  of  public  labour.  The  consequence  is,  they 
are,  in  a  great  measure,  unqualified  to  serve  the  Church 
as  writers.  They  must,  of  necessity,  make  inferior 
preachers.  If  they  attempt  to  sit  down  as  stated  pastors^ 
they  soon  expend  their  scanty  store  of  knowledge,  and 
cease  to  interest  the  people ;  and  even  if  they  go  forth 
as  missionaries,  whether  in  the  foreign  or  domestic  fields 
their  capacity  to  benefit  their  fellow-men,  and  to  extend 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  will  generally  be  found  to  be 
abridged  in  proportion  to  the  scantiness  of  their  acquire- 
ments. 

J.  am  far,  indeed,  from  asserting  that  no  one  ought 
E  2 


60  PREPARATOEY  STUDY 

ever  to  be  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  Ministry  who  is 
not  entitled  to  the  character  of  a  learned  man;  and  far 
less,  that  a  cold  and  heartless  erudition  will  itself  fit  any 
man  to  be  an  acceptable  or  useful  occupant  of  the  sacred 
office.  All  experience  proves  that  without  decided,  ar- 
dent piety,  no  one  is  qualified,  either  to  his  own  comfort, 
or  to  the  probable  advantage  of  others,  to  minister  in  holy 
things.  And  if  a  man,  in  addition  to  such  piety,  pos- 
sesses strong  good  sense,  practical  wisdom,  aptness  to 
teach,  and  exemplary  zeal;  even  though  he  have  not  en- 
joyed the  plenary  advantage  of  what  may  be  called  a 
liberal  education;  such  a  man  may,  I  have  no  doubt,  in 
many  cases,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the  Church,  be 
introduced  to  the  Gospel  Ministry.  Men  of  this  class 
have  often  been  eminently  useful ;  and  it  would  certain- 
ly be  carrying  the  doctrine  of  the  necessity  of  regular 
study  to  an  extreme,  to  shut  out  such  persons  from  the 
sacred  oflSce.  Still,  in  every  such  case,  the  want  of  ade- 
quate knowledge  ought  to  be  regarded  by  the  individual 
himself,  and  by  all  his  friends, — and  will  be  regarded  by 
both, — if  they  have  good  sen&e, — as  a  serious  disadvan- 
tage, to  which  nothing  short  of  necessity  should  induce 
him  to  submit;  and  which  can  scarcely  fail  to  abridge, 
and,  in  all  probability,  very  materially,  the  usefulness  as 
well  as  the  comfort  of  all  his  ministrations. 

It  is  deeply  to  be  deplored,  that,  in  taking  this  course, 
and  in  incurring  these  disadvantages,  candidates  for  the 
Ministry  are  often  encouraged  by  the  advice  of  those 
who  ought  to  give  them  better  counsel.  If  it  were  in 
all  cases  a  mere  puerile  mistake,  flowing  from  youthful 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  61 

impetuosity,  and  want  of  experience,  we  might  look 
upon  it  with  more  indulgence.  But  this  is  by  no  means 
the  case.  Venerable  Presbyteries  either  give  it  their 
direct  countenance,  or  cannot  be  prevailed  upon  to  set 
their  faces  with  sufficient  firmness  against  it.  And 
thus  it  happens  every  day,  that  short  sighted  or  infatu- 
ated young  men, — either  for  want  of  adequate  warn- 
ing, or  setting  the  most  solemn  warning  at  naught; — 
urged  on,  someciraes  by  inconsiderate  friends,  and  at 
other  times  by  their  own  impatience,  ascend  the  pulpit, 
and  undertake  to  teach  others,  while  they  need  to  be 
taught  themselves  "  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of 
God;" — that,  amidst  all  the  rich  advantages  in  pursuing 
Theological  studies  with  which  the  candidate  for  the 
Ministry  is  now  surrounded; — amidst  the  multiplied 
facilities  which  Theological  Seminaries,  and  other  allied 
recent  improvements,  offer  to  the  diligent  student  of 
sacred  knowledge ; — the  humiliating  fact  will,  I  fear,  be 
found  to  be,  that  the  mass  of  Presbyterian  Ministers,  at 
the  present  day,  are  by  no  means  better,  if  so  well  fur- 
nished for  their  work,  as  those  who  entered  the  sa- 
cred office  prior  to  the  existence  of  these  flxcilities.  If 
this  be  so,  the  fact,  and  the  reasons  of  it,  are  worthy  of 
our  most  serious  consideration. 

It  will  be  my  aim,  in  what  remains  of  this  paper,  to 
endeavour  to  impress  upon  the  mind  of  every  reader  the 
exceeding  great  importance  of  having  the  preparatory 
studies  of  candidates  for  the  holy  Ministry  mature  and 
adequate.  And,  although  the  argument  will  be  made 
up  of  elements  so  self-evident  that  it  seems  difficult  to 


62  PEEPAEATORY  STUDY 

make  them  plainer  to  a  thinking  mind ;  yet,  for  the 
sake  of  those  for  whom  demonstration  itself  must  often 
be  repeated  before  it  can  make  an  impression ; — it  may 
be  useful  to  repeat  thoughts  which  ought,  long  since,  to 
have  been  adopted  as  first  principles,  by  every  one 
claiming  the  least  portion  of  Christian  intelligence. 

I.  The  great  importance  of  careful  and  mature  pre- 
paratory study  in  candidates  for  the  Ministry,  appears 
from  the  nature  and  importance  of  that  public  service 
which  the  sacred  office  demands.  Multitudes  of  secular 
men,  and  too  many  who  are  turning  their  eyes  to  the 
Gospel  Ministry,  seem,  indeed,  to  think  that  the  profes- 
sional studies  of  a  minister  may  be  brought  within  a 
very  narrow  compass.  In  fact,  they  seem  to  imagine 
that  a  serious  perusal  of  the  English  Bible;  of  some  one 
systematic  work  on  Theology  ;  and  of  some  respectable 
ecclesiastical  history, — is  quite  enough  to  prepare  any 
man  for  the  pulpit.  All  that  can  be  said  of  such  per- 
sons is,  that  they  betray  an  ignorance  as  wonderful  as 
it  is  disreputable.  As  well  might  a  man  dream  that 
he  was  qualified  to  be  a  physician,  by  the  perusal  of 
some  single  popular  work  on  the  healing  art ;  or  a  law- 
yer, by  reading  a  course  of  law  lectures,  on  general 
principles.  Surely  such  calculators  never  penetrated 
beyond  the  surface  of  any  single  question  in  Biblical  or 
Theological  inquiry.  What  is  the  work  which  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Gospel  is  called  to  perform  ?  Is  it  not  to  ex- 
plain the  Bible  to  his  fellow  men  ?  Is  it  not  to  unfold, 
illustrate,  defend  and  apply  the  doctrines  and  duties,  of 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  63 

that  Bible  for  the  benefit  of  all  whom  he  addresses  ?  Is 
it  not  to  solve  the  difficulties  which  occur  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, to  reconcile  seeming  contradictions,  and  to  unfold 
the  riches  of  the  sacred  Volume  ?  Is  it  not  to  refute 
error,  in  all  its  mazes ;  to  establish  truth,  in  all  its  ex- 
tent; to  convince  gainsayers;  to  instruct  and  relieve 
the  perplexed  and  doubting ;  in  a  word,  to  be  ready 
to  meet  all  inquirers,  and  all  opposers,  and  to  "reprove, 
rebuke,  and  exhort,  with  all  long  suffering  and  doc- 
trine ?"  But  is  it  possible,  it  may  be  asked,  to  per- 
form these  duties  with  any  intelligence  and  success, 
without  a  large  amount  of  various  and  digested  know- 
ledge ?  Can  any  man  discharge  them  thoroughly,  or 
even  in  any  reputable  degree,  without  being  familiar 
with  the  original  languages  of  Scripture  ;  with  Biblical 
History;  with  Biblical  Antiquities;  with  the  general 
principles  and  details  of  Biblical  Criticism  and  Interpre- 
tation ; — without  being  well  acquainted  with  Didactic 
and  Polemic  Theology,  in  all  their  diversified  and  inter- 
esting branches,  including  the  Deistical  controversy, 
the  Unitarian  Controversy,  the  Pelagian  and  Semi-Pela- 
gian Controversies,  to  say  nothing  of  many  other  de- 
partments of  this  boundless  subject  ?  Nay,  further ; — is 
any  man  prepared  to  discharge  these  duties  either  ac- 
ceptably to  his  Master,  to  the  honour  of  his  office,  or 
to  the  acceptance  of  those  to  whom  he  ministers,  with- 
out a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  History  and  Gov- 
ernment of  the  Church,  the  structure  and  composi- 
tion of  Sermons,  the  Pastoral  care,  and  a  variety  of 
other  subjects  which  cannot  be  minutely  specified  ? — 


64  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

Now  when  we  recollect  that  all  these  branches  of  study 
are  indispensable ;  that  they  ought  all  to  be  made  ob- 
jects of  attention  by  every  candidate  for  the  holy  Minis, 
try;  that  he  is  really  not  prepared  even  to  begin  his 
work,  as  an  interpreter  of  Scripture,  and  as  a  profes- 
sional counsellor  and  guide  of  immortal  souls,  without 
some  good  acquaintance  with  every  one  of  them; — is  it 
possible  for  any  one  who  knows  what  study  and  know- 
ledge mean,  to  think  of  gaining  any  valuable  acquaint- 
ance with  these  various  and  extensive  departments  of 
knowledge,  in  less  than  three  or  four  years  of  diligent 
application?  It  is  impossible.  They  are  subjects  in 
respect  to  which  no  talents  can  supersede  the  necessity 
of  patient  and  protracted  labour.  Nay,  it  is  evident  that 
a  tolerably  comprehensive  acquaintance  with  any  one  of 
them,  cannot  be  acquired,  by  the  finest  mind,  without 
months  of  devoted  study.  Take,  for  example,  the  Pela- 
gian or  the  Arminian  controversy,  and  ask  any  think- 
ing man  who  has  the  least  idea  of  the  nature,  extent, 
and  importance  of  these  portions  of  Polemic  Theology, 
how  long  it  will  take  a  student  of  the  best  powers  so  far 
to  master  them,  as  to  be  prepared  to  go  forth  to  resist 
error  in  its  various  artful  mazes,  and  establish  truth; — 
and  he  will  reply  that,  to  gain  and  digest  such  know- 
ledge, a  number  of  months,  diligently  employed,  will  not 
be  more  than  sufficient  for  each  subject.  He,  then,  who 
thinks  so  far  to  master  them  all,  as  to  be  prepared  to  be 
"a  teacher  in  the  house  of  God,"  at  little  expense  of 
time  and  toil,  labours  under  a  delusion  which  would  be 
a  proper  subject  of  ridicule  only,  were  it  not  so  destruc- 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  65 

live  in  its  consequences  to  the  most  precious  interests  of 
men. 

If  there  be,  then,  in  the  bosom  of  the  Church  a  melan- 
choly spectacle,  it  is  that  of  a  rash,  self-confident  young 
man,  who  presses  forward  to  the  awful  station  of  a  spi- 
ritual  teacher,  when  he  has  not  been  taught  himself; 
who  is  not  qualified,  perhaps,  to  illustrate  and  guard  a 
single  point  in  Theology ;  who,  of  course,  must  be  a 
superficial  preacher;  and  who  cannot  fail  of  being  liable 
to  all  the  crude  thinking,  and  the  doctrinal  inconsisten- 
cies and  aberrations,  which  so  frequently  mark  the 
character  of  those  who  thus  prematurely  intrude  into 
the  sacred  office.  How  it  is,  that  young  men,  apparently 
conscientious,  can  deliberately  consent  to  go  forth  as 
public  instructors  in  the  Church  of  Christ ;  to  open  and 
apply  the  Scriptures ;  to  meet  and  confute  the  learned 
sceptic;  to  silence  the  ingenious  caviller,  not  by  sancti- 
monious authority,  but  by  sound  argmnent;  to  solve 
delicate  and  momentous  questions  of  casuistry;  to  coun- 
sel the  anxious,  the  perplexed,  the  tempted,  and  the 
doubting;  and  adapt  themselves  to  all  the  variety  of 
characters  and  duties  which  a  large  congregation  pre- 
sents,— while  they  arc,  comparatively,  children,  both  in 
knowledge  and  experience; — is  indeed  wonderful,  and  as 
humiliating  as  it  is  wonderful ! 

When  the  illustrious  Calvin  had  published  the  first 
edition  of  his  great  work  on  the  "  Institutions  of  the 
Christian  Religion," — when  Joseph  Scaliger  supposes 
him  to  have  been  the  most  learned  man  in  Europe^  and 
when  he  was  importuned  and  finally  constrained  to  set- 


66  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

tie  as  a  pastor  in  Geneva,  he  was  actually  on  his  way  to 
Strashurg,  for  the  purpose  of  further  pursuing  his  theo- 
logical studies,  under  the  impression  that  he  had  not  yet 
obtained  mature  Scriptural  knowledge  enough  to  war- 
rant his  undertaking  the  stated  exercise  of  the  pastoral 
office.  What  an  impressive  comment  on  the  presumptu- 
ous readiness  with  which  too  many  young  men,  in 
modern  times,  venture  on  the  arduous  and  awful  labours 
of  the  Gospel  Ministry,  with  furniture  so  slender  and 
inadequate,  that  they  cannot  be  said  to  be  safe  and  in- 
telligent teachers  on  almost  any  subject ! 

II.  A  further  and  very  important  argument  in  favour 
of  mature  preparatory  study  is,  that  very  few  who  do  not 
lay  a  good  foundation  in  the  beginning,  ever  supply  the 
deficiency  afterwards. 

Many  candidates  for  tlie  Ministry,  no  doubt,  content 
themselves  with  what  they  acknowledge  to  be  a  short 
and  very  superficial  course  of  study  at  the  outset,  be- 
cause they  imagine  they  will  have  an  ample  opportu- 
nity of  supplying  all  deficiencies  after  entering  on  their 
official  work.  They  flatter  themselves  that,  after  they 
have  actually  entered  the  field  of  public  labour,  they 
will  have,  at  once,  better  facilities,  and  stronger  excite- 
ments to  study,  than  they  now  enjoy;  and  that,  then, 
they  will  make  up,  and  more  than  make  up,  whatever 
may  now  be  wanting.  But  it  is  easy  to  show  that  this 
expectation  generally  proves,  in  fact,  and  in  most  cases 
must  prove,  altogether  delusive.  Candidates  for  the 
Ministry  may  rely  upon  it,  that  if  they  leave  the  Theo- 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  67 

logical  Seminary,  or  their  preparatory  studies  wherever 
pursued,  with  a  mere  smattering  of  theological  know- 
ledge— with  what  they  know  and  confess  to  be  a  scanty 
and  inadequate  foundation,  there  is  every  probability 
that  they  will  go  through  life,  and  to  their  graves  with 
very  little  more.  The  superstructure  concerning  which 
they  fondly  anticipate  so  much,  will  pretty  certainly  be 
always  of  the  same  miserable,  scanty,  insufficient  cha- 
racter with  the  foundation. 

For,  in  the  first  place,  if  a  candidate  for  the  Ministry 
have  so  little  thirst  after  knowledge,  so  little  love  of 
study,  so  little  energy  and  decision  of  character,  as  to 
content  himself  with  small  and  superficial  acquirements 
in  his  preparatory  course,  when  he  has  so  fair  an  oppor- 
tunity, and  such  powerful  stimulants  to  apply  his  mind 
to  the  acquisition  of  necessary  furniture; — will  he  be 
likely  to  undergo  an  essential  revolution  in  this  respect, 
immediately  on  reaching  the  field  of  public  labour? 
Will  he  be  likely,  at  once,  to  gain  a  new  spirit,  more 
warmly  and  successfully  devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  know- 
ledge, when  both  his  means  and  his  opportunities  for 
attending  to  this  object,  will  be  far  less  favourable  than 
before  ?  Nothing  can  be  more  unreeisonable  than  such 
an  expectation.  No ;  there  is  a  moral  certainty  that  he 
who,  in  the  ardour  of  youthful  pursuit,  has  not  a  suffi- 
ciently deep  impression  of  the  importance  of  knowledge, 
to  make  sacrifices  for  its  attainment,  and  sufficient  force 
of  character  to  overcome  the  obstacles  which  lie  in  the 
way  of  the  attainment; — will  never  be  likely,  in  afler  life, 
to  surmount  these  obstructions,  and  make  the  acquisition. 

F 


68  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

Besides,  let  it  be  recollected,  that  when  a  youthful 
minister  of  Christ,  at  the  present  day,  goes  forth  to  serve 
the  Church, — if  he  have  talents,  and  be  popular — as 
each  individual  hopes  will  be  the  case  concerning  him- 
self j — and  especially  if  he  have  ardent  piety,  and  a 
heart  to  perform  his  work  with  zeal ;  he  will  have  so 
much  to  do ;  will  be  so  incessantly  called  upon  in  every 
direction  ;  in  a  word,  will  have  his  heart  and  hands  so 
completely  filled  with  public  and  private  engagements — 
preaching — visiting  from  house  to  house — attending  pro- 
tracted, and  other  special  meetings  for  promoting  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom — and  all  the  multiplied,  and  almost 
countless  details  of  duty  to  which  the  zealous  minister  of 
Christ  is  called  in  this  day  of  Christian  zeal  and  enter- 
prize  ; — ^that,  instead  of  having  time  to  make  up  for  for- 
mer deficiencies  in  study  he  will  scarcely  be  able,  by 
every  effort,  to  redeem  time  enough  to  keep  pace,  in  ever 
so  imperfect  a  manner,  with  the  cursory  literature  of  the 
day,  and  to  prepare,  even  hastily  and  superficially,  for 
the  pulpit.  And,  what  is  worthy  of  the  particular  notice 
of  such  a  young  man — the  more  ardent  his  piety,  and 
the  more  animated,  interesting,  and  popular  his  preach- 
ing— the  more  numerous  will  be  his  calls  to  public  and 
private  service ;  and,  of  course,  the  more  incessant  will 
be  his  interruptions,  and  the  more  difficult  he  will  find 
it  to  redeem  even  a  few  hours  in  each  week  for  com- 
posed retirement  and  study.  The  consequence  is,  that 
nine  out  of  ten,  perhaps  nineteen  out  of  twenty,  of  those 
who  engage  in  preaching  with  very  slender  furniture, 
go  through  the  whole  of  their  ministerial  life  with  lean, 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  69 

unfurnished  minds.  Their  "  profiting  does  not  appear  to 
all."  Not  having  the  habit  of  close  study,  it  is  not  easy 
to  begin.  They  hope  for  much,  and  promise  much  in 
the  way  of  future  improvement,  but  never  find  time  for 
it.  Hence,  when  they  enter  the  pulpit,' they  are  neither 
instructive  nor  interesting  as  preachers.  The  small 
and  lean  stock  with  which  they  begin  is  soon  exhausted. 
Their  popular  acceptance  soon  declines  or  ceases.  The 
people  are  not  "fed  by  them"  with  knowledge  and  un- 
derstanding. Congregations  dwindle  away,  and  some- 
times perish,  under  their  feeble  and  unedifying  Ministry. 
Premature  dotage  creeps  on ;  and  the  latter  portion  of 
their  lives,  perhaps,  becomes  rather  a  burden  than  a 
blessing  to  the  Church.  It  is  truly  melancholy  to  think 
how  often  this  has  been  the  real  history  of  ministers 
who  entered  the  sacred  ofiice  without  proper  furniture, 
and  who,  for  want  of  time  or  inclination  afterwards, 
never  made  up  their  early  deficiency.  Indeed,  from 
the  very  nature  of  the  case,  this  must  necessarily  be  the 
result  with  regard  to  many.  For,  let  it  ever  be  remem- 
bered— and  on  the  ear  and  heart  of  every  candidate  for 
the  Ministry,  the  statement  ought  to  fall  with  solemn 
weight — no  minister  ever  yet  kept  together  and  edified 
a  congregation,  for  any  length  of  time,  who  did  not,  as 
a  habit,  preach  instructively ; — who  did  not  "  feed  the 
people"  with  Scriptural  knowledge.  Even  Whitejield^ 
with  all  the  fervour  of  his  zeal,  and  all  the  wonderful 
impressiveness  of  his  matchless  eloquence — could  not 
possibly  have  settled  as  a  stated  pastor,  among  an  intel- 
ligent people,  with  any  advantage.    Of  this,  he   was 


70  PREPARA-TORY  STUDY 

himself  aware,  and  often  confessed  it  with  sensibiUty 
and  humiliation.  His  early  studies  had  been  hasty  and 
superficial;  and  his  ministerial  life  had  been  one  of 
almost  unequalled  activity.  He  had  little  time  for  study 
from  the  day  of  his  ordination  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
His  sermons,  though  highly  eloquent,  bore  the  marks  of 
this  fact :  and  when  the  novelty  of  his  eloquence  had 
worn  off  in  a  particular  place,  his  audiences  became 
gradually  less  crowded,  until  he  was  admonished  to 
take  his  leave  of  them  for  a  time,  and  not  to  return  until 
such  an  interval  had  elapsed  as  that  he  could  again 
appear  among  them  under  the  advantage  of  a  degree  of 
novelty. 

But  even  supposing  that  he  who  enters  on  the  holy 
Ministry  with  slender  furniture,  should  afterwards  be 
determined,  whatever  it  may  cost  him,  to  make  up  his 
deficiency  by  unwearied  and  extra  efforts.  Still  his 
task  will  be  difiicult,  and  his  prospect  gloomy.  He  can 
take  only  one  of  two  courses,  either  of  which  will  pro- 
bably be  fatal.  He  may  attempt,  amidst  all  his  multi- 
plied and  arduous  labours,  by  night  studies,  and  by 
urging  nature  in  every  way,  beyond  her  strength — to 
gain  that  which  he  ought  to  have  acquired  before  he 
entered  the  pulpit.  In  taking  this  course,  he  will,  pretty 
certainly,  destroy  his  health,  and  either  sink  into  a  pre- 
mature grave,  or  reduce  himself,  for  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  to  a  state  of  languor  and  protracted  disease> 
which  will  render  existence  a  burden,  and  all  comforta- 
ble and  efficient  discharge  of  duty  impossible.  Or,  the 
delinquent  in  question  may  choose  another  alternative. 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  71 

He  may,  after  entering-  on  the  Ministry,  confine  him- 
self  to  his  study ;  neglecting  family  visitation ;  neglect- 
ing family  instruction  ;  neglecting  the  anxious  inquirer; 
neglecting  the  sick  and  the  dying ;  neglecting  all  the 
calls  of  Christian  enterprize  and  benevolence  ;  in  short, 
neglecting,  or  slighting  all  pastoral  duties,  excepting 
those  of  the  pulpit.  The  consequences  of  adopting  this 
alternative,  may  be  even  still  more  deplorable  than  in 
the  former  case.  While  the  other  course  would,  proba- 
bly, be  fatal  to  his  health,  this  would  be  fatal  to  his  use- 
fulness, fatal  to  his  official  character,  fatal  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  precious  souls  committed  to  his  charge. 

But  it  will  be  asked — Have  not  individuals  been  fre- 
quently known,  who  entered  the  office  of  the  holy  Min- 
istry with  very  small  theological  furniture;  but  who, 
afterwards,  by  very  extraordinary  efforts,  became  not 
only  respectably,  but  some  of  them  even  richly  fur- 
nished for  their  work?  I  answer,  such  instances  have 
now  and  then  occurred.  But  they  have  been,  generally, 
men  of  peculiar  intellectual  vigour  and  perseverance ; 
of  great  decision  of  character ;  and  placed  in  circum- 
stances which  in  a  great  measure  exempted  them  from 
the  daily  and  hourly  calls  of  pastoral  duty.  They  have 
almost  always,  too,  been  men  who  had  not  enjoyed  the 
advantage  of  ample  study  in  early  life.  Of  one  who 
had  enjoyed  this  advantage,  but  neglected  it,  and  en- 
tered the  Ministry  with  small  furniture,  and  subse- 
quently became  studious  and  learned — I  never  knew  an 
example;  and  must  entirely  doubt  whether  such  an  ex- 
ample ever  occurred. 

f2 


72  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

III.  The  great  importance  of  regular  and  mature 
training  for  the  holy  Ministry  is  manifest /rom  the  pecu- 
liar state  and  wants  of  our  country. 

It  will  readily  be  understood  that  those  who  are  en- 
trusted with  immediate  care  of  Theological  Seminaries, 
have  opportunities  of  perceiving  and  appreciating  this 
consideration,  which  are  in  some  measure  peculiar  to 
themselves.  To  them  applications  for  candidates,  both 
for  pastoral  and  missionary  service,  are  continually 
sent,  from  almost  every  part  of  the  United  States,  ac- 
companied with  descriptions  of  the  places  and  popula- 
tion for  which  the  candidates  are  needed,  and  of  the 
qualifications  deemed  requisite  for  filling  to  advantage 
the  places  specified.  It  is  almost  incredible  to  those 
who  have  not  seen  the  contents  of  such  communications 
as  I  have  described,  how  frequently,  not  to  say  gene- 
rally, they  represent  competent  learning,  as  well  as 
talents  and  piety,  as  being  indispensable  in  the  stations 
which  it  is  designed  to  fill.  They  tell  us,  in  so  many 
cases,  that  it  may  be  considered,  without  error,  as  the 
general  strain  of  representation,  even  from  the  remotest 
country  villages, — that  the  man  who  would  suit,  must  be 
a  well-informed  and  instructive  preacher,  as  well  as  pious, 
zealous,  and  prudent.  They  tell  us,  that  the  specified 
settlement,  though  new  and  immature,  contains  a  large 
number  of  acute,  active,  observing  men,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians, merchants,  whose  taste  and  character  demand  in- 
telligent, as  well  as  sound  instruction  from  the  sacred 
desk.  It  would  be  painful  to  disclose  in  how  many 
cases  theological  Professors  have  been  obliged  to  reply 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  73 

to  such  applications,  that,  although  they  were  ahle  to 
name  a  number  of  candidates  who  were  disengaged, 
they  could  not  select  an  individual  of  the  whole  list  who 
could  really  be  said  to  be  adapted  to  the  place  and  ser- 
vice described.  Young  men  we  had,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, in  considerable  numbers ;  but  few  or  none,  un. 
engaged  fit  to  be  sent  to  such  scenes  of  labour ;  and  so 
we  were  obliged  to  inform  our  importunate  applicants. 
The  truth  is,  many  of  the  principal  people  in  these  re- 
mote  districts  desire — and  it  is  surely  a  reasonable  wish 
— that  the  ministers  sent  to  them  should  be  qualified  to 
take  the  lead  in  all  the  ecclesiastical  organizations  and 
proceedings,  not  merely  of  a  single  Church,  but  of  seve- 
ral neighbouring  churches,  starting  into  life  and  activ- 
ity ;  to  be  the  counsellors  and  guides  of  townships,  and 
sometimes,  perhaps,  of  counties;  to  mould  a  heterogene- 
ous population  into  a  harmonious  and  comfortable  mass* 
to  give  advice,  go  forward,  and  command  respect  in  dif- 
ficult and  delicate  cases  ;  and  to  take  an  active  part  in 
promoting  sound  literature  as  well  as  religion^  in  the 
respective  neighbourhoods  in  which  they  may  be  placed. 
Indeed  to  much  of  this  work  every  minister, — even 
every  itinerant  missionary  is  called ;  and  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  he  be  able  to  perform  it  with 
acceptance  and  usefulness.  And  that  candidate  for 
the  sacred  office  who  is  either  too  lazy,  or  too  nar- 
row minded  to  take  the  requisite  pains  to  qualify  him- 
self  for  these  various  and  momentous  duties,  may  think 
himself  very  conscientious,  and  may  give  himself  great 
credit  for  being  moderate,  humble,  and  disinterested  in 


74  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

his  view?;  but  he  is  an  infatuated  man.  He  is  not 
merely  under  a  mistake ; — he  is  unfaithful  to  himself,  to 
the  Church,  and  to  the  Master  whom  he  professes  to 
love. 

Had  I,  therefore,  an  opportunity  of  addressing  all  the 
theological  students  in  the  United  States,  I  would  say 
to  them — Look  abroad,  beloved  youth,  upon  this  na- 
tion, in  all  its  settlements,  in  the  length  and  breadth 
of  them !  Contemplate  the  number,  the  character, 
and  the  wants  of  our  population.  Behold  the  me- 
lancholy reign  of  ignorance  and  vice.  Contemplate 
the  learning,  the  boldness,  and  the  industry  of  heresy 
on  every  side.  Mark  well  the  prevalence,  the  un- 
wearied diligence,  and  the  eloquence  of  infidelity. 
Think  how  much  digested  knowledge,  as  well  as  able 
and  powerful  preaching,  is  called  for  by  the  shrewd  and 
hostile  millions  within  our  widely  extended  territory. 
Advert  for  a  moment  to  the  mighty  influence  which  the 
press  is  destined  to  exert  over  this  people,  and  how  dead- 
ly that  influence  must  be,  if  not  guided  and  sanctified 
by  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Think  of  the  interests 
of  sound  literature  as  well  as  of  piety.  Count  the  num- 
ber of  the  youth  who  are  to  be  trained  up  either  for  use- 
fulness and  heaven,  or  for  profligacy  and  perdition. 
Ponder  well  the  necessities  of  our  Seminaries  of  Learnings 
if  they  are  to  be  made  a  blessing,  and  not  a  curse.  Look 
at  these  things,  beloved  candidates  for  the  holy  Ministry, 
and  consider  seriously  what  must  be  the  consequence, 
without  a  series  of  miracles,  unless  the  young  soldiers 
now  coming  forward  to  the  service  of  the  Church,  take 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  75 

care  to  be  adequately  instructed  and  girded  for  the  migh- 
ty war  before  them  ;  and  if  your  "  spirit  is  not  stirred 
within  you"  by  the  sight,  to  take  high  aims  in  prepar- 
ing  for  your  work ;  to  aspire  to  elevated  attainments  in 
knowledge  and  in  piety,  you  are  but  ill  fitted  for  this 
age,  or  for  the  office  which  you  seek. 

With  these  impressions,  when  I  see  young  men,  un- 
der the  notion  of  serving  the  Church,  and  of  supplying 
the  urgent  demand  for  ministers,  prematurely,  and  with- 
out proper  furniture,  pressing  into  the  pulpit,  instead  of 
rejoicing,  I  mourn.  They  may  have  pious  intentions, 
and  may  sincerely  think  they  are  promoting  the  wel- 
fare of  the  Church ;  but  they  are  preparing,  in  all  pro- 
babiliUty,  to  inflict  upon  it  a  real  injury.  They  may 
think  "the  Lord  hath  need  of  them."  But  they  are  de- 
ceived. The  Lord  is  a  God  of  order,  and  not  of  confii- 
sion,  in  all  his  churches.  He  has  never  made  mental 
imbecility,  ignorance,  rashness,  and  incompetence,  pro- 
per qualifications  for  doing  his  work.  If  "  the  Lord  had 
need  of  them,"  he  would  not  only  open  the  door  for 
their  entrance  info  his  service,  but  would  also  prepare 
them  for  the  service  in  which  they  engaged. 

IV.  The  great  importance  of  mature  study,  and  tho- 
rough training  for  the  holy  Ministry,  is  manifest  from 
the  predominant  influence  which  the  Press  exerts^  and 
seems  destined  in  a  still  higher  degree^  to  exert,  in  every 
part  of  our  country. 

No  intelligent  observer  of  the  passing  age,  can  possi- 
bly fail  of  marking  the  power  of  the  press,  in  reaching, 


76  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

informing-,  and  controling  the  whole  mass  of  our  citi- 
zens. Never,  since  human  society  existed,  were  the 
productions  of  the  human  mind,  in  so  many  diversified 
forms,  so  widely  diffused  among  men,  as  at  the  present 
time.  He  who  is  able  to  write  in  a  popular  and  impres- 
sive manner,  can  now,  through  the  medium  of  the  press, 
speak,  in  a  short  time,  to  almost  the  whole  civilized 
population  of  the  globe ;  instructing  the  ignorant,  im- 
pressing the  careless,  and  uniting  in  sentiment  and  ac- 
tion countless  thousands  whose  faces  he  can  never  see 
in  the  flesh,  and  thousands  who  may  live  long  after  he 
is  dead.  And  as  the  facilities  for  extending  this  method 
of  communication  are  every  day  increasing,  so  the  power 
of  the  accomplished  writer  to  benefit  his  fellow-men,  is 
becoming  every  day  more  rich,  precious,  and  durable. 
Happy  is  that  man  who  is  qualified  to  write  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  be  able  to  send  the  means  of  promoting 
sound  principles,  and  holy  living  through  all  ranks  of 
society  to  the  €nds  of  the  earth.  If  I  wished  to  give 
such  counsel  to  a  beloved  son,  as  I  should  think  adapted 
to  prepare  him  for  the  very  maximum  of  usefulness  in 
the  Church  of  God,  I  would  certainly  exhort  him,  next 
to  the  cultivation  of  ardent  piety,  to  labour  to  the  ut- 
most, and  without  ceasing,  to  become  one  of  the  most 
ready  and  able  writers  in  the  land. 

But  can  any  one  be  ignorant  that  the  possession  in  any 
good  degree  of  this  accomplishment,  must  necessarily 
be  the  result  of  mature  study,  and  of  indefatigable  la- 
bour? "JReat/in^,"  said  Lord  Chancellor  Bacon,  "makes 
a  full  man ;  conversation  a  ready  man ;  writing  an  exact 


FOR    THE    HOLY    MINISTRY.  77 

man."  Nothing  brings  to  a  more  severe  test  the  sound- 
ness of  a  man's  original  literary  training,  the  accuracy 
of  his  knowledge,  the  clearness  of  his  conceptions,  and 
the  cultivation  of  his  taste,  than  the  manner  in  which 
he  acquits  himself  as  a  writer.  Here,  if  he  be  not  a  real 
scholar,  if  his  knowledge  be  not  sound  and  digested,  his 
ideas  distinct  and  clear,  and  his  taste  just,  he  cannot 
possibly  manifest  high  excellence.  Without  these  quali- 
fications, he  may  really  be  said  to  labour  under  an  en- 
tire disability  to  do  much  good  to  his  fellow  men  in  this 
way.  And,  of  course,  he  who  voluntarily  incurs  this  dis- 
ability, may  be  said  voluntarily  to  curtail  his  own  power 
to  serve  his  generation,  and  to  honour  the  best  of  Mas- 
ters. 

Accordingly,  it  is  truly  humiliating  to  observe  how 
small  is  the  number  of  Ministers  in  the  United  States, 
who  manifest  any  thing  like  high  excellence  in  the 
great  and  precious  power  of  addressing  their  fellow-men 
through  the  medium  of  the  press.  Though  this  accom- 
plishment is  so  evidently  one  of  inestimable  importance; 
though  it  bears  a  high  price  in  the  market:  and  though 
there  is  scarcely  any  way  in  which  a  man  is  so  likely, 
on  a  great  scale,  to  serve  God  and  his  generation ;  still, 
the  mortifying  fact  is  notorious,  that  there  is  a  great 
scarcity  ^of  this  kind  of  accomplishment;  nay,  that  many 
important  theological  and  ecclesiastical  publications  of 
the  periodical  class,  are  almost  obliged  to  stand  still  for 
want  of  writers  of  sufficient  excellence  to  sustain  them 
with  vigour  and  spirit.  While  a  large  portion  of  the 
periodical  press  is  in  the  hands  of  infidels  and  errorists, 


78  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

who  can  command  sufficient  literary  aid  almost  at  plea- 
sure ;  the  friends  of  evangelical  religion  find  it  almost 
impossible  to  carry  on  such  journals  as  their  cause  de- 
mands, in  a  manner  which  at  all  becomes  their  cause. 
And  in  the  midst  of  this  lamentable  deficiency,  how  few 
appear  to  be  pursuing  that  course  of  study,  and  submit- 
ting to  that  patient  and  laborious  culture  of  their  faculties 
which  become  those  who  feel  bound  to  exert  their  utmost 
strength  in  serving  their  Maker  and  their  fellow-men ! 
Never  was  there  a  country  in  which  there  were,  at  once, 
so  many  opportunities  and  inducements  to  promote  the 
temporal  and  eternal  welfare  of  mankind  by  good  writing 
as  in  the  tfnited  States :  and  it  may  be  safely  said,  that 
there  is  no  department  of  Christian  effort  more  likely  to 
prove  a  permanent  blessing  to  the  human  race ;  and  in 
which  he  who  is  capable  of  excelling  is  presented  with  a 
greater  range  of  usefulness  than  that  which  is  now  under 
consideration ;  and  which,  at  the  same  time,  so  many,  if 
they  do  not  weakly  undervalue,  do  most  criminally  ne- 
glect. 

V.  Ample  and  mature  preparatory  study  is  of  ex- 
ceeding great  importance  to  a  candidate  for  the  holy 
ministry,  as  a  substitute  for  that  experience  which  cannot 
be  possessed  in  the  outset  of  an  ecclesiastical  course;  and 
for  the  general  formation  of  the  character. 

Many  seem  to  imagine  that  the  only  use  of  a  regular 
and  complete  course  of  preparatory  study  is  the  mere 
attainment  of  knowledge.  And,  therefore,  when  a  can- 
didate for  the  ministry,  after  completing  his  academic 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  79 

career,  is  exhorted  to  spend  three  or  more  years  ip  dili- 
gent theological  study,  it  is  thought,  by  many  serious 
people,  to  be  almost  a  criminal  sacrifice  to  inere  learning. 
But  such  persons  forget  that  the  discipline  of  the  mind, 
and  the  formation  of  the  general  character,  are  among 
the  most  important  parts  of  professional  preparation. 
They  forget  that  even  if  the  requisite  amount  of  facts  and 
principles  could  be  crowded  into  the  mind  of  a  young 
man  in  six  months,  or  even  in  six  weeks,  still  one  essen- 
tial object  of  theological  education  would  be  unattained; 
which  is  casting  the  whole  man,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the 
expression,  into  the  proper  mould  for  a  minister  of  reli- 
gion. This  includes  the  correction  of  bad  habits;  the 
formation  of  new  and  better  ones ;  the  gradual  discipline 
and  ripening  of  the  intellectual  powers;  mellowing,  soft- 
ening, and  at  the  same  time  invigorating  the  graces  of 
the  heart ;  bringing  down  high  thoughts  of  himself; 
ascertaining  his  own  defects  and  foibles ;  learning  the 
value  of  gravity,  self  command,  prudence,  and  Christian 
dignity;  studying  human  nature  and  the  world;  in 
short,  unlearning  many  things  which  he  had  learned 
amiss,  and  correcting  many  erroneous  views,  and  juve- 
nile propensities,  which  nothing  but  time,  and  suitable 
associations,  accompanied  with  much  observation,  watch- 
fulness, prayer,  and  conflict  can  possibly,  under  God, 
enable  him  to  accomplish.  Suppose  a  young  man  to  be 
about  to  engage  in  a  course  of  study  preparatory  to  the 
gospel  Ministry.  Suppose  him  to  have  lively,  and  vigo- 
rous talents,  and  unfeigned  piety; — but  at  the  same 
time  to  be  rash,  impetuous,  indiscreet,  ignorant  of  the 
G 


80  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

world,  elated  with  ideas  of  his  own  powers  and  impor- 
tance, and  ready  on  all  occasions,  without  conferring 
with  age  or  experience,  to  dash  forward  for  the  attain- 
ment of  his  object.  Now,  if  such  a  young  man  had  read 
all  the  books  in  the  world,  and  heard  and  transcribed  all 
the  learned  lectures  that  ever  were  delivered,  he  would 
still  be  unfit  to  go  forth  as  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel ;  to 
be  a  teacher,  an  example,  and  a  guide  in  the  Church 
of  God.  He  needs  the  friendly  hints,  the  fraternal 
counsel,  the  faithful  admonitions  of  those  who  have  lived 
longer  than  himself  He  needs  to  be  taught  by  experi- 
ence, and  sometimes  by  very  painful  experience ;  to  be 
rebuked,  and  mortified,  and  humbled  again  and  again, 
before  he  can  be  brought  to  "think  soberly"  of  himself, 
to  feel  his  own  defects  and  foibles,  to  act  with  a  habitual 
regard  to  the  feelings  of  others,  to  be  "  swift  to  hear, 
slow  to  speak,  slow  to  wrath."  In  a  word,  he  needs  that 
kind  of  intellectual  and  moral  discipline,  which  results 
from  being  frequently  brought  into  contact  with  various 
forms  of  Christian  society,  while  he  is  consulting  at  his 
leisure  the  best  books.  It  is  plain  that  all  this  is  not,  in 
ordinary  cases,  to  be  acquired  in  a  year,  or  in  two  years. 
It  is  usually  a  slow  process,  and  requires  time  and  pa- 
tience. Yet,  with  many,  this  discipline,  is  far  more 
needed,  and  far  more  important,  than  mere  learning. 
The  want  of  it  is  their  most  radical  and  prominent  de- 
fect; and  will  be  likely,  perhaps,  if  continued,  more  than 
any  other,  (next  to  a  defect  in  piety)  to  interfere  with 
their  acceptance,  their  comfort,  and  their  usefulness,  to 
the  end  of  life. 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTHT.  81 

After  all  the  provision  which  has  been  made  by  our 
Church  lor  ample  ministerial  training-,  I  feel  constrained 
to  say,  that  there  is  scarcely  a  more  obvious  and  deplora- 
ble evil  among  her  rising  ministry,  at  the  present  day, 
than  the  slenderness  of  furniture  with  which  many  go 
forth,  united,  as  such  deficiency  is  too  apt  to  be,  with  a 
spirit  of  self-confidence,  rashness,  contempt  for  age  and 
experience,  and  headstrong  obstinacy  in  the  adoption 
and  persevering  use  of  new  modes  of  preaching,  in  pro- 
pagating plausible  forms  of  error,  and  in  denouncing  a 
wise  regard  to  ecclesiastical  order  as  pharisaical  for- 
mality. We  have  reason  to  be  thankful  that  this  self- 
suflficient  and  turbulent  spirit,  though  found  in  too  many 
instances,  is  by  no  means  a  prevalent  one  among  the 
mass  of  our  candidates.  If  it  were,  the  prospect  would 
be  indeed  gloomy ;  or  rather,  there  would  be  no  rational 
hope  for  the  Church  short  of  a  revolution,  which  should 
at  once  convulse  and  purify  it.  Now  against  these 
aberrations,  piety  itself,  even  ardent  piety,  is  not  always 
a  sufficient  defence :  for  the  stronger  the  conviction  on 
the  part  of  a  deeply  conscientious  youth  of  the  rectitude 
of  a  certain  course,  with  the  more  decision  and  ardour 
will  he,  of  course,  pursue  it. 

If  we  would  cure  such  an  one  of  his  errors,  and  reclaim 
him  from  his  wanderings ;  we  must  inform  his  mind  ; 
we  must  read  to  him  the  experience  of  former  ages  ;  we 
must  prevail  upon  him  to  pause,  to  inquire,  and  to  avail 
himself  of  the  knoweledge  accumulated  by  the  Church 
from  her  very  mistakes,  convulsions  and  disorders.  In 
nineteen  cases  out  of  twenty,  when  pious  young  ministers 


82  rREPARATORY  STUDY 

have  given  way  to  extravagance  and  fanaticism ;  when 
they  have  spurned  the  counsels  of  age  and  experience ; 
and  grieved  the  hearts  of  intelligent  and  sober  Christians, 
by  patronizing  enthusiasm  and  disorder ;  they  will  be 
found  to  be  among  the  ignorant  and  superficial;  who 
have  pressed  forward  prematurely  into  the  field  of  public 
labour;  who  know  little  of  theology;  little  of  the  struc- 
ture and  history  of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  still  less  of  hu- 
man nature,  and  the  human  heart;  and  least  of  all  of 
themselves.  This  is  so  generally  the  case,  that  when  I 
hear  of  a  young  man  who  is  peculiarly  forward  and  arro- 
gant in  his  ecclesiastical  spirit ;  who  claims  to  be  pecu- 
liarly  skilled  in  originating  and  conducting  Revivals ; 
who  sneers  at  the  counsels  of  wiser  and  better  men  than 
himself,  and  denounces  as  graceless,  or  at  least  as  cold, 
all  who  are  not  willing  at  once  to  unite  with  him  in  his 
extravagance;  I  take  for  granted,  without  further  in- 
quiry,  that  he  is  a  young  man  of  small  information  ;  that 
he  has  been  intoxicated  by  the  flattery  of  those  who  were 
as  superficial  and  injudicious  as  himself;  that  he  is  a 
mass  of  inflated  ignorance,  and  spiritual  pride;  and  that 
instead  of  being  a  guide,  in  spiritual  things  peculiarly 
well  skilled  and  safe,  as  he  and  his  partial  friends  sup- 
pose,  he  is  peculiarly  unfit  to  be  trusted  in  any  thing  that 
requires  the  exercise  of  genuine  sanctified  wisdom.  I 
have  very  seldom  met  with  a  case  which  formed  an  ex- 
ception to  this  remark.  All  the  patrons  of  enthusiasm, 
extravagance  and  disorder  that  I  have  ever  personally 
known,  were  either  sciolists  in  knowledge,  or  men  of  re- 
markably weak  minds,  and,  more  generally,  both  toge- 


FOR  THE  HOLr  MINISTRY.  83 

ther.  The  various  practical  inferences,  which  may  Icgiti- 
mately  be  drawn  from  this  statement,  I  leave  to  others; 
but  the  fact  is,  a  self-sufficient,  inflated,  thorough-going' 
advocate  of  fanatical  measures  of  any  kind,  who  was  at 
the  same  time  a  man  of  mature  study,  and  a  well  inform- 
ed theologian,  I  never  saw,  or  heard  of  Hence  I  infer, 
that  Icisurly  and  careful  study;  setting  out  in  eccle- 
siastical  life  with  a  solid  mass  of  digested  knowledge; 
is  one  of  the  best  guards  against  these  deplorable  evils. 
This  leads  me  to  observe, 

VI  Finally ;  That  the  importance  of  mature  study  and 
thorough  training  for  the  sacred  office,  is  powerfully  and 
uniformly  attested  by  the  history  of  the  Church. 

To  trace  the  leading  facts  on  this  subject,  would  re- 
quire a  volume  instead  of  a  few  pages.  They  all,  how- 
ever, when  carefully  examined,  will  be  found  to  establish 
the  general  principle,  that  at  any  and  every  period,  the 
better  informed  the  clergy  were  in  Biblical  and  theolo- 
gical knowledge,  the  more  exemplary  was  their  sacred 
character, — the  more  pure  and  elevated  their  piety,  and 
the  more  extensive  their  usefulness.  The  most  learned 
of  the  Apostles,  we  know,  was  the"most  eminently  use- 
ful of  the  whole  number.  And  the  same  general  princi- 
ple has  been  strikingly  exemplified  in  all  ages.  It  can- 
not be  said,  indeed,  that  ministers  of  the  Gospel  have 
been  always  and  invariably  useful  in  direct  proportion 
to  their  learning.  Some  remarkable  instzinces  of  learned 
heretics,  and  of  learned  drones  and  formalists,  have,  no 
doubt  disgraced  the  ministerial  office ;  and  instead  of 
G    2 


84  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

proving  blessings  to  the  Church,  have  rather  been  per- 
verters  of  the  truth,  and  obstacles  to  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel.  But  the  converse  of  this  statement,  cannot,  as- 
suredly be  maintained;  that  is,  it  cannot  be  said  of 
any  pastor,  or  missionary,  M^ho  v\ras  remarkably  ignorant, 
however  pious,  that  he  was  extensively  and  permanently 
useful.  Such  an  one  may  have  been  the  means  of  doing 
some  little  good,  for  a  short  time,  and  in  a  narrow  sphere ; 
but  extensively  useful  he  never  was.  The  annals  of  the 
Christian  Church  afford  no  such  instance.  The  fact  is 
from  the  da3^s  of  Paul  to  this  hour,  those  ministers  who, 
to  exemplary  piety,  and  ardent  zeal,  added  sound  and 
mature  learning,  have  been  in  all  ages  and  countries 
the  most  eminently  blessed  and  useful  in  their  genera- 
tion. 

This  principle  was  strikingly  exemplified  in  the  lives 
and  character  of  the  Reformers.  In  those  holy  men,  who 
were  most  eminently  instrumental  in  stripping  off  the 
mask  from  popery,  in  exposing  the  erroneous  corruptions 
of  the  man  of  sin,  and  holding  forth  the  "light  of  life"  to 
a  dark  world,  we  see  the  value  of  learning  to  the  Gospel 
Ministry  displayed  in  the  most  impressive  manner.  It 
may  be  maintained,  without  hesitation,  as  a  general 
fact,  that  the  most  learned  of  their  number,  were  the 
most  richly  and  extensively  useful ;  and  that,  humanly 
speaking,  had  their  knowledge  been  less,  the  blessings 
which,  under  God,  they  were  instrumental  in  conferring 
on  the  Church,  and  on  distant  generations  would  have 
been  far  less  rich,  vital  and  permanent  than  they  were- 
Nay,  it  is  not  saying  too  much  to  assert  that,  had  not 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  85 

the  leading  Reformers  been  men  amply  furnished  with 
human  and  divine  knowledge,  they  could  not  possibly 
have  rendered  those  incalculable  services  to  the  cause 
of  Christ,  which  altered  the  face  of  Christendom ;  which 
sent  blessings  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  and  in  which 
we  have  yet  reason  to  rejoice.  The  accomplishments  of 
which  we  speak  were  those  which  enabled  those  great 
and  good  men  to  translate  and  expound  the  Scriptures; 
to  explain  and  defend  the  precious  doctrines  of  the  Gos- 
pel ;  to  meet  the  learning  of  the  most  corrupt  Romanists 
with  still  sounder  learning;  to  repel  their  plausible 
logic,  with  logic  still  more  legitimate  and  powerful ;  to 
expose  the  emptiness  of  their  "philosophy  falsely  so 
called,"  by  sounder  views  of  genuine  philosophy  ;  to  ex- 
hibit the  real  character  of  the  heresies  and  superstitions 
which  they  opposed,  by  tracing  their  history,  as  well  as 
exposing  their  native  tendency  and  effects ;  and  thus  to 
command  the  confidence,  and  guide  the  opinions  of 
thousands  who  never  saw  their  faces  in  the  flesh. 

Even  in  the  case  of  missionaries,  the  principle  for 
which  we  contend  has  been,  with  scarcely  an  exception, 
remarkably  illustrated  and  confirmed.  Whose  labours, 
among  this  class,  have  been  most  remarkably  blessed  to 
the  conversion  of  the  heathen?  Undoubtedly,  those  who, 
to  fervent  piety,  united  a  competent  store  of  literature 
and  science,  and  especially  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  Bible,  and  with  Gospel  truth.  If  any  doubt  of 
this,  let  them  think  of  the  labours  and  usefulness  of  such 
men  as  Eliot,  and  Brainerd,  and  Spangenlerg,  and 
Vanderkemp,  and  Sioartz,  and  Buchanan,  and  Martyn, 


86  PREPASATORY  STUDY 

and  Carey^  and  Ward — not  to  speak  of  a  number  more 
whose  names  will  instantly  oceur  to  every  well  in- 
formed reader; — and  then  ask,  whether  it  had  been 
possible  for  those  holy  and  devoted  men  to  accomplish 
what  they  did,  if  they  had  been  illiterate  and  ignorant, 
however  ardent  and  devoted  their  Christian  feelings  ? 
The  very  suggestion  is  absurd.  We  might  as  well  ex- 
pect  men  according  to  the  unreasonable  demand  of  the 
Egyptian  task-masters,  to  "make  brick  without  straw." 
The  most  permanent  and  truly  valuable  part  of  the  ser- 
vices which  they  rendered  to  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer, 
were  precisely  those  which  their  sanctified  learning 
enabled  them  to  accomplish,  and  which,  had  they  been 
illiterate  men,  might,  of  course,  have  entirely  failed. 
When  we  read  the  deeply  interesting  memoirs  of  these 
men,  and  especially  those  of  Buchanan  and  Mariyn,  we 
perceive  at  once  that  their  indefatigable  devotion  to 
study  in  the  University,  was  so  far  from  having  been 
lost  upon  them,  even  in  their  missionary  labours,  that  it 
all  turned  to  important  account.  It  served  to  invigorate 
and  enlarge  their  minds;  to  prepare  them  for  the  more 
easy  and  thorough  acquisition  of  every  subsequent  at- 
tainment; and  thus  greatly  to  extend  their  usefulness. 
Neither  of  these  men  could  possibly  have  shone  so 
brightly  in  his  oriental  Ministry,  had  it  not  been  for 
his  diligent  and  successful  labours  in  the  University. 

The  foregoing  statements  are  all  confirmed  by  the 
history  of  the  most  useful  divines  and  pastors  of  our 
own  country.  It  may  be  confidently  asserted,  that 
ever  since  evangelical  churches  have  had  an  existence 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  87 

on  this  side  the  Atlantic,  those  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
in  whom  fervent  piety,  and  ample  theological  furniture 
were  most  remarkably  united,  have  been,  invariably,  the 
most  eminently  useful.  They  have  had  a  weight  of 
influence  which  no  others  could  acquire.  They  have 
diffused  around  them  a  degree  of  light,  as  well  as 
warmth,  which  less  accomplished  men  could  never  have 
imparted.  And  they  have  been  enabled  to  give  an  ira- 
pulse  to  the  public  mind,  and  to  correct  prevailing  dis- 
orders  and  abuses,  to  an  extent  which  rendered  them 
great  public  benefactors;  but  which,  without  their  learn- 
ing, would  have  been  impracticable,  unless  by  the  inter- 
vention of  miracle. 

Do  any  ask,  in  what  manner  the  history  of  the 
Church  represents  the  want  of  mature  knowledge  in 
ministers  as  having  interfered  with  their  usefulness? 
The  answer  is  as  ready  as  it  is  multiform  and  decisive. 
When  ministers  have  had  little  knowledge  themselves, 
it  was  impossible  for  them  to  impart  much  instruction  to 
others.  They  were  found  unable  to  "feed  the  people 
with  knowledge  and  with  understanding."  Those  to 
whom  they  ministered  soon  discovered  their  ignorance  ; 
felt  that  they  were  not  fed;  became  tired  of  their 
preaching ;  lost  their  respect  for  them ;  neglected  their 
ministrations;  and,  perhaps,  gradually,  withdrew  from 
the  house  of  God  altogether,  and  became  totally  regard- 
less  of  religion.  Thus,  instead  of  being  a  rich  blessing 
to  the  Church  of  God,  such  ministers,  as  was  remarked 
under  a  former  head,  have  frequently  become  a  stum- 
bling  block,  a  burden,  and  a  curse  to  it.    Nor  does  the 


88  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

history  of  the  Church  represent  the  evils  of  the  want  of 
suitable  furniture  in  ministers  as  having  been  confined 
to  the  people  to  whom  they  ministered.  This  dificiency 
has  proved,  in  innumerable  instances,  as  injurious  to 
themselves  as  to  others.  They  have  been  made  the 
dupes  and  tools  of  designing  men,  who  had  more  know- 
ledge, and  who  wished  to  render  them  subservient  to 
their  sinister  designs.  Or  they  have  been,  before  they 
were  aware  of  it,  entangled  in  the  deplorable  toils  of 
childish  superstition,  or  wild  enthusiasm ;  and  thus,  be- 
coming "blind  leaders  of  the  blind,"  they  have  con- 
tracted more  guilt,  and  done  more  injury  to  that  hal- 
lowed cause  which  they  professed  to  serve,  than  it  was 
possible  by  human  arithmetic  to  estimate.  The  truth 
is,  a  man  who  has  but  a  smattering  of  indigested  know- 
ledge, however  pious,  must  be,  as  all  experience  has 
evinced,  not  only  an  incompetent  guide,  but  also  an 
unsafe  one.  In  a  day  of  commotion  and  trial,  he  knows 
not  what  to  do.  He  is  ready  to  adopt  every  novel  pro- 
ject which  ignorance,  vanity,  or  a  spirit  of  innovation 
may  propose.  The  results  of  former  experience  and 
wisdom  are,  of  course,  lost  upon  him,  for  the  best  of  all 
reasons,  because  he  knows  them  not.  The  consequence 
is,  that,  in  all  his  movements,  he  betrays  total  incom- 
petence to  the  work  which  he  undertakes.  He  draws 
down  upon  himself  the  deep  regrets,  if  not  the  un- 
mingled  contempt  of  the  wise  and  the  good  around  him. 
And  the  Church,  instead  of  having  reason  to  bless  him, 
as  her  leader,  guide,  and  benefactor,  has  reason  rather 
to  weep  over  his  character  and  labours,  however  well 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  89 

intended,  as  really,  taken  in  the  aggregate,  so  much 
thrown  into  the  scale  of  the  adversary. 

Such,  beyond  all  doubt,  is  the  testimony  of  unvar- 
nished history  on  the  subject  before  us.  It  teaches,  on 
the  one  hand,  that  unsanctified  knowledge  has  always 
been  a  curse  to  the  Church — leading  to  pride,  ambition, 
unhallowed  speculation,  heresy,  strife,  and  every  evil 
work.  And  it  teaches,  on  the  other  hand,  with  no  less 
distinctness,  that  ignorance  never  was  nor  can  be  sanc- 
tified, that  an  ignorant  or  superficially  informed  Minis- 
try, never  can  be  either  a  respectable  or  useful  one; 
that  it  must  either  sink  down  into  miserable,  inert,  un- 
instructive  insignificance  and  unfaithfulness;  or  betray 
into  vanity,  empty  rant,  enthusiasm,  and  endless  disor- 
der. Nothing  but  the  union  of  fervent  piety,  and  sound 
learning,  can  possibly  secure  to  any  Christian  Ministry, 
for  any  length  of  time  together,  the  precious  results  of 
true  respectability,  and  genuine  evangelical  usefulness. 

Seeing  that  the  voice  of  all  history  is  so  unequivocal, 
loud  and  solemn  on  this  subject,  it  has  often  filled  me 
with  the  deepest  astonishment,  that  candidates  for  the 
ministry,  who  have  any  acquaintance  with  that  history, 
should  yet  be  so  slow  to  learn  its  plain  and  conclusive 
lessons.  Such,  however,  is  the  demented  course  of 
many !  They  are  so  infatuated  as  to  pass  hastily  and 
slightly  over  all  their  academical  and  collegia!  studies, 
and  yet  hope  to  have  well  disciplined  and  cultivated 
minds.  They  are  so  much  in  haste  to  get  into  the  field 
of  active  labour,  that  they  will  not  take  the  time  or  the 
pains  to  make  themselves  acquainted,  even  tolerably, 


90  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

with  the  original  languages  of  Scripture ;  and  yet  are  so 
unreasonable  as  to  expect  to  be  sound  intelligent,  and 
able  expositors  of  the  word  of  God.  They  spurn  at  the 
labours  of  studying  didactic  and  polemic  theology  in  a 
systematic  manner,  comparing  system  with  system ; 
and  yet  irrationally  dream,  that  they  shall  be  able,  by 
and  by,  to  "  bring  out  of  their  treasure  things  new  and 
old." 

They  imagine  that  their  little  stinted,  indigested, 
miserable  pittance  of  acquirement  will  be  sufficient  to 
draw  upon  while  they  live,  without  any  addition.  Surely 
such  youth  set  at  defiance  all  reason,  and  all  experience. 
When  our  Theological  Seminaries  were  first  established, 
the  friends  of  a  well  qualified  ministry  were  sanguine  in 
their  expectations,  that  theological  education  would  rap- 
idly rise  to  a  high  standard.  It  never  entered  into  their 
minds,  that  when  such  ample  and  favourable  opportuni- 
ties of  mature  study  were  provided,  any  would  be  insane 
enough  not  to  avail  themselves  of  the  provision.  But, 
alas !  how  grievously,  not  only  in  many  instances,  but 
in  a  great  majority  of  instances,  have  such  expectations 
been  disappointed !  How  difficult  is  it,  after  all,  to  per- 
suade the  larger  portion  of  our  candidates  for  the  minis- 
try, of  the  importance  and  necessity  of  ample  furniture 
in  those  who  bear  the  sacred  office !  They  read  in  every 
history  of  the  Christian  Church  which  they  open,  the 
deplorable  consequences  of  ignorance  and  incompetence 
in  the  Gospel  ministry.  They  cannot  open  their  eyes 
on  the  ministers  and  Churches  of  the  present  day,  with- 
out seeing  the  most  humiliating  effects  arising  from  the 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  91 

want  of  suitable  training  in  those  who  have  undertaken 
to  be  "  watchmen  on  the  walls  of  Zion."  They  cannot 
help  seeing-,  if  they  look  at  all,  that  the  minister  who  has 
but  small  knowledge,  with  few  exceptions,  must  content 
himself  with  small  usefulness.  They  ought  to  know, 
too,  that  the  state  of  society  in  our  country,  as  it  ad- 
vances in  refinement  and  intelligence,  is,  every  year, 
calling  for  more  ample  furniture  in  candidates  for  the 
sacred  office.  They  ought,  further,  to  remember,  that 
Christian  ministers  of  the  present  day  are  called  upon 
more  loudly  than  ever  before,  to  serve  the  cause  of  Christ 
with  their  pens,  as  well  as  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  lecture- 
room,  and  in  the  pastoral  visit.  And  they  ought  to  con- 
sider that  they  have  opportunities  of  enlightening  and 
influencing  the  public  mind  presented  to  them,  such  as 
no  former  generation  of  candidates  for  the  Ministry  ever 
enjoyed.  They  are,  also,  frequently  and  faithfully  warn- 
ed of  the  danger  of  immature  study,  and  superficial 
knowledge;  and  entreated  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
means  placed  within  their  reach,  for  preparing  in  the 
most  advantageous  manner,  to  serve  the  Church  and 
their  generation.  But  with  respect  to  many,— alas  I 
too  many ;  all  is  in  vain.  Only  a  lamentably  small  por- 
tion can  be  prevailed  upon,  with  all  these  considerations 
in  view,  to  pursue  the  full  course  of  study  which  the 
wisdom  of  the  Church  has  prescribed.  And  even  some 
who  do  consent,  and  profess,  nominally,  to  go  through 
that  course,  engage  in  study,  for  the  most  part,  with  so 
little  zeal,  and  suffer  themselves  to  be  diverted  from  their 


92  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

studies  by  so  many  distracting  avocations,  that  but  a 
small  portion  of  the  nominal  time  of  study,  is  really, 
and  in  good  earnest,  devoted  to  its  professed  object. 

I  am  not  ignorant  of  the  various  pleas,  by  which  those 
who  act  thus,  in  opposition  to  the  clearest  light  of  expe- 
rience, attempt  to  justify  their  blind  and  infatuated  con- 
duct. They  plead — the  urgent  need  of  ministers ;  the 
solicitations  of  their  friends;  their  earnest  desire  to  be  in 
the  field  of  labour ;  the  inconvenience  of  obtaining  the  ne- 
cessary means  of  support,  in  pursuing  the  usual  course ; 
— all  these  they  plead  with  confidence  and  zeal.  But  such 
pleas  are  all  delusive  and  vain.  Those  who  offer  them 
forget  that  it  is  no  real  blessing  to  the  Church  to  multi- 
ply ignorant  and  incompetent  ministers,  but  rather  a 
a  curse;  that,  of  course,  if  the  call  for  more  labourers 
were  a  hundred^fold  more  loud  and  importunate  than  it 
is,  it  would  be  worse  than  useless  to  the  Church  as  well 
as  to  themselves,  to  go  forth  unfurnished  "novices." 
They  forget  that  they  have  but  one  life  to  live :  and 
that,  if  they  allow  themselves  to  launch  forth  unprepared, 
they  may,  and  probably  will,  never  be  able  to  repair  the 
mischief  of  this  one  premature  step.  O  when  will  those 
beloved  sons  of  the  Church  who  have  "  a  price  put  into 
their  hands  to  get  wisdom,"  learn  to  value  it  correctly, 
and  to  improve  it  faithfully?  I  can  only  say,  with  res- 
pect to  those  who  act  otherwise,  that,  if  they  ever  come 
to  their  senses,  they  will  be  ready,  like  Peter^  to  "  go 
out  and  weep  bitterly." 

I  most  earnestly  wish,  my  dear  Sir,,  that  you  could 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  93 

adopt  some  means  of  infusing^  proper  sentiments  on  this 
important  subject  into  the  minds  of  all  the  candidates 
taken  up  and  patronized  by  your  Board.  It  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  that  something  of  this  kind  be  done,  if 
possible,  at  the  outset  of  each  young  man's  course* 
When  candidates  for  the  Ministry  have  completed  their 
college  career,  and  commence  their  theological  studies, 
it  is  often  too  late  to  address  them  effectually  in  reference 
to  this  matter.  Their  whole  elementary  course,  in  the 
languages  and  sciences,  has  been  so  miserably  superfi- 
cial and  inaccurate,  that,  unless  they  go  back  and  begin 
anew^  they  never  can  proceed  in  their  theological  course, 
with  any  tolerable  advantage.  Young  men,  therefore, 
who  have  the  Ministry  in  view,  ought  to  commence  their 
elementary  studies  under  a  deep  conviction  of  the  im- 
portance of  every  part  of  their  foundation  being  laid  in 
the  most  careful  and  solid  manner.  From  the  moment 
they  take  the  Latin  grammar  in  hand,  they  ought  to  be 
entreated  not  to  slight  any  part  of  their  work ;  and  to 
make  a  point,  whatever  it  may  cost  them,  of  being  exact 
and  thorough  in  every  thing.  This  may  give  more  trou- 
ble in  the  outset;  but  it  will  save  trouble  in  the  end. 
He  who  begins  well,  will  proceed  afterwards  with  more 
ease,  more  celerity,  and  more  profit :  whereas,  he,  whose 
studies  in  classic  literature  and  in  the  sciences  are  lame 
and  crude,  may  rely  on  it  that  he  will  be  like  a  man  with 
weights  tied  to  his  feet,  which  will,  necessarily,  impede 
his  progress  in  every  subsequent  part  of  his  journey 
Let  me  entreat  you,  then,  Mr.  Editor,  and  through  you, 


94  PREPARATORY  STUDY 

all  who  have  any  thing  to  do  with  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion— ^to  labour  to  impress  the  minds  of  your  beneficia- 
ries with  a  due  sense  of  their  obligations  on  this  subject. 
I  would  respectfully  propose,  that  you  not  only  put  into 
their  hands  sound  and  seasonable  publications  on  the  sub- 
ject ;  but  that  you,  as  far  as  possible,  personally  address 
each  individual,  and  endeavour  to  reach  his  conscience  in 
reference  to  the  duty  which  I  am  labouring  to  recom- 
mend.  Try  to  convince  them,  that  whenever  they  pass 
over  any  subject  which  it  is  made  their  duty  to  study, 
in  a  hasty  and  superficial  manner ;  whenever  they  con- 
tent themselves  with  stinted  and  imperfect  knowledge, 
they  cJieat  themselves  ;  they  cheat  the  Churchy  by  whose 
maternal  bounty  they  are  sustained;  they  attempt  to 
cheat  the  great  Head  of  the  Church.,  to  whom  they  owe 
their  best  services.  O  that  candidates  for  the  Ministry 
cuuld  be  persuaded  to  feel,  that  this  is  not  a  subject  con- 
cerning which  they  are  at  liberty  to  "  confer  with  flesh 
and  blood ; "  but  that  they  are  as  much  bound  io prepare 
themselves  in  the  test  possible  manner  to  serve  their  Mas- 
ter in  heaven,  as  they  are  to  pray,  to  study  his  word,  or  to 
believe  in  his  name.  And  if  any  young  man,  after  having 
the  subject  properly  set  before  him,  cannot  be  prevailed 
upon,  to  go  through  a  regular  and  full  course  of  study, 
both  classical  and  theological,  I,  for  one,  am  prepared  to 
say  that,  from  the  moment  this  disposition  is  discovered, 
your  Board  ought  to  decline  sustaining  him.  The  pious 
young  man  who  has  gotten  it  into  his  head  that  zeal, 
without  solid  knowledge  will  answer  for  a  minister  of 


FOR  THE  HOLY  MINISTRY.  95 

the  Gospel,  ought  at  once  to  be  told,  that  he  will  be 
much  more  likely  to  promote  the  cause  of  true  religion 
as  an  industrious  mechanic,  or  in  some  other  secular 
employment,  than  as  "  an  ambassador  of  Christ" 

With  many  prayers  for  the  success  of  jour  important 
Institution, 

I  am,  my  dear  Sir, 

Yours,  &C. 

SAMUEL  MILLER. 

Princeton,  May  fHth,  1832. 


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